Thomas Jefferson's lap desk. In 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on this portable lap desk of his own design. Featuring a hinged writing board and a locking drawer for papers, pens, and inkwell, the desk was Jefferson's companion as a revolutionary patriot, American diplomat, and president of the United States. Photo: Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.

WASHINGTON, DC.- The Presidents fiscal year 2011 budget request to Congress for the Smithsonian is $797.6 million, an increase from the $761.4 million appropriated to the Institution in FY 2010. The Salaries and Expenses budget request for FY 2011 is $660.8 million and the Facilities Capital budget is $136.8 million.

Salaries and ExpensesThe Salaries and Expenses account covers salaries and benefits, rent, utilities, travel, routine maintenance, security and other operating expenses. This year, the Smithsonian requested an additional $3.6 million to partially cover mandatory salary increases and related costs, such as workers compensation, and an additional $147,000 for utilities, rent and other fixed operating costs.

This appropriation request reflects the Smithsonians new strategic plan; the requested increases are allocated according to the following categories, or four grand challenges, of the plan: $8 million for Biodiversity, which includes funds for biodiversity and climate change research, DNA barcoding and the Encyclopedia of Life Web site; $1 million for Understanding the American Experience; $500,000 for Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe; and $500,000 for World Cultures.

Another request for an increase in the Salaries and Expenses account will go toward collections care$2.4 million to improve preservation, storage, documentation and accessibility to the Institutions collections and for the care of the animals at the National Zoo.

The term broadening access in the strategic plan refers to making the collections accessible to researchers and people who cannot visit the museums by using the Internet and other technologies. A total of $1.5 million will be dedicated to staff and computer equipment to continue the process of digitizing the Smithsonian collections.

Facilities CapitalFacilities Capital funds for FY 2011 are requested for a variety of revitalization projects, which total $106.1 million. The five biggest projects are:

· National Museum of American History$18 million to convert the parking garage into useable space for collections storage during the next renovation phase (west wing).

· National Museum of Natural History$17.6 million to replace the 40-year-old mechanical and electrical systems and continue replacing windows in the main building.

· Smithsonian Environmental Research Center$16 million for a laboratory and support facility to replace temporary trailers that have deteriorated.

· National Zoo$11.4 million for continued infrastructure work, repairs of the seals and sea lions pool and renovation of a training and education center at the Zoos facility in Front Royal, Va.

· Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum$8.8 million for renovation of the Carnegie Mansion that houses the museum, including replacing the main elevator and upgrading the buildings systems.

A Planning and Design total of $30.5 million has been requested: $20 million for the National Museum of African American History and Culture and $10.5 million to design several major revitalization projects at the Natural History Museum and the Zoo, in addition to designs for smaller projects and master planning.